The Ring
by Various Shades of Gray Rain
Summary: Trory! Tristan loses his ring. Guess who finds it?


The Ring  
  
By: Serendipity  
  
Rory Gilmore was stopping by her locker before her last period. She suddenly retracted her foot from where she placed to find a silver ring by her feet.  
  
She picked up the ring and examined it. It reminded her of someone. But who? She put the ring in her breast pocket of her coat and continued to dig through her locker.  
  
She walked to her classroom and as usual she was abnormally early, but to her surprise someone else was already there. Tristan DuGrey.  
  
*How could he have lost it?* Tristan thought *Where did I put it? How could I lose my grandfather's ring?*  
  
He felt her presents but right now he was a little preoccupied. He couldn't think about anything else until he found the ring.  
  
*What no 'Hello Mary' no 'Did you miss me?'*  
  
"Tristan?"  
  
"Not now, Mary I'm busy."  
  
He knew he just blew off an angel but if he couldn't find that ring he would lose it big time.  
  
Rory just sat down and opened her book but she couldn't concentrate on the text in front of her. What was wrong with Tristan? Any other day he would have been bugging her and making wisecracks about how they were in a room alone together. (again)  
  
She turned and watched Tristan search through his backpack for the third time since she arrived.  
  
"Tristan is everything – "  
  
But she got cut off by the shrill ring of the bell. The students rushed in and took their seats. Mr. Medina walked in and immediately started lecturing about Emily Dickenson.  
  
Tristan looked down at his desk on the verge of pulling his hair out. He remembered when his grandfather gave him the ring. It was the day he died. Janlen DuGrey was in the hospital and he didn't want to see anyone else but his Grandson. Tristan walked into the room. He could hardly bear seeing his Grandfather like this, IV's and wires sticking in him. He used to be so rosy and plump just like a grandfather should be but now he was skinny and pale. He called Tristan over to his bed. Motioning for him to come still closer. He slid his ring off of his thin finger and took Tristan's hand to place it there. He said that is had belonged to his grandfather and one day he hoped Tristan would give it to one of his grandchildren. Janlen took one last breath and squeezed his grandson's hand one last time and pasted away.  
  
A silent tear ran down his cheek as he pulled out his notes and acted like he was paying attention. But his actions didn't go unnoticed by Rory.  
  
*What had happen to Tristan that could make him, the emotionless one, cry? In school no less.*  
  
She looked down at his hand that was "taking notes" and thought it looked different like something was missing. The ring, it was his she realized. She mentally berated herself for not realizing earlier he wore it everyday. She wanted to jump up and give it to him right now but she would be busted if she dared to disturb the class. She would have to wait until after class. She looked up at the clock. Half an hour left she didn't think could stand it.  
  
"Alright, you may pack up now"  
  
Rory shoved everything in to her overstuffed backpack as fast as she could. The shrill bell sounded freeing them from the confinements of hell and as she had expected Tristan bolted out of the door. Rory ran after him as fat as she could with the bulk that was her weekend homework on her back.  
  
"Tristan" She yelled down the hallway.  
  
"Tristan wait"  
  
"What did you and you lil' boyfriend have a fight" came the cool voice of Paris.  
  
"Bite me Paris I'm busy."  
  
By the time she ran out of Chilton Tristan was already in his car. She couldn't go after him or she would miss her bus. She ran to the bus and prayed that some how it would go faster and not stop so much.  
  
After the bus ride from hell, which she spent examining the ring, the bus finally stop in Starr's Hollow. Rory launched herself from bus running straight into Dean.  
  
"Whoa, Hey" She gave him a hurried kiss on the cheek and continued toward her house.  
  
Dean followed closely behind wondering what was preoccupying his girlfriend.  
  
"Hey where you get that ring?"  
  
"It's not mine, it's Tristan's," She said without thinking. *Dope… why did I say that? Jealous boyfriend attack in 5… 4… 3… 2…*  
  
"Why do you have the accountant's ring?"  
  
"Calm down he didn't give it to me he dropped and I have to go give it back to him."  
  
"Now? Why? Can't you give it to him tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes now and no I can't give it to him tomorrow. I'm pretty sure if he doesn't get it back soon he'll lose it. I tried giving it back to him today but he left to quickly. I saw him crying during class Dean." She said the last part so silently he almost didn't hear it.  
  
"Tristan, crying? Yea that's a good one Rory ha ha. What about our date?"  
  
"Dean stop it, I be back in time for that. Your acting like if I go over there I won't come back. I'm just giving him bake his ring"  
  
"Oh so now he is more important than me?"  
  
"No I didn't say that, you know what just go cool down we'll continue this 'discussion' later"  
  
"Fine just fine" Dean stormed off in the opposite direction and the miffed Rory jogged the rest of the way to her house. As soon as she got into the door she dropped her backpack and ran to her room to change.  
  
"Mom" she yelled, "Can I use the jeep?"  
  
"Sure babe what do ya need it for?"  
  
"I have to go give something back to Tristan" *Grrrr… why do I keep saying that it's like I want everyone to know I am going to visit Tristan.*  
  
"Tristan? Evil Tristan? Bible Boy? Why?"  
  
"All of the above and because it's important."  
  
"Okay take the cell. Bye babe."  
  
"Bye mom, Love you"  
  
Rory ran out of the house, got into the jeep and tore out of there as fast as she could. She had found Tristan's address in the Chilton phone book. Rory pulled into his driveway and slide the ring off her finger and into her pocket.  
  
She walked up to his door took a deep breath and reached out to the doorbell.  
  
DONG!!! DING!!! DONG!!!  
  
"Coming, I'm Coming"  
  
She was about to ring it again when the door creaked open.  
  
"Rory?!?"  
  
"Tristan… um. Hi"  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Umm I –"  
  
"Oh sorry, come in?" He hoped she hadn't noticed his puffy red eyes. But she had.  
  
"Tristan, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing" he went into the living room and put his arm on the mantle of the fireplace.  
  
"Tristan?"  
  
"Well if you must know, I lost my grandfather's ring it was the only thing I had left of him"  
  
Rory walked across the room and grabbed his hand. Before he could say anything he felt the familiar cool silver of the ring slide onto his finger. He looked from the ring to Rory and back to the ring again.  
  
"Where did you get this?" He asked in shock.  
  
"I found it by my locker, I'm guessing it fell of when you were bugging me."  
  
Before either of them knew what happened, Tristan had picked up Rory into great big bear hugged and started spinning around.  
  
"Thank you so much, you don't know what this means to me."  
  
"Actually I'm guessing I do, I saw you crying during class"  
  
"Oh well umm" An awkwardness came over them.  
  
"So, is that him?" Rory said pointing to a picture of an old man on the mantle.  
  
"Huh? Oh yea that's him" Tristan sat down on the couch behind Rory still a little bet shocked.  
  
Rory plopped down next to him "What was he like?"  
  
"Oh well… He was nothing like me or my dad. Actually he was a lot like you only ya know 60 years older and a man if you can imagine that."  
  
"Hmmm… a 76 year old male Gilmore Girl, yep I can imagine that."  
  
Tristan broke out laughing at the picture of his grandfather as a Gilmore girl.  
  
"Yea, well this was the last thing he gave me before he died," motioning to he ring "the last thing he said was that he hoped one day I could give it to my grandchild." Tears started to stream down his face as they did every time he pictured his grandfather in the hospital.  
  
Rory made her way over to him and took him into her arms and before she could stop herself she had given him a kiss on the forehead.  
  
He looked up to her a bit confused "What was that for?"  
  
Rory sat back down "Sorry I guess I got all motherly on you. That is what my mom does when I am sad she says it's the best medicine for a heartache."  
  
Tristan gave a slight chuckle "You and mom get along well I'm guessing."  
  
"Yep, she's my best friend" They launched into conversation and banter and before she knew it Rory had been there for and hour and a half. She heard the shrill ring of her cell. Tristan got up off the couch so he wouldn't be crowding her while she was on the phone.  
  
"Hello"  
  
"Dean what are you doing calling me on my cell?"  
  
"Yes I am still at Tristan's house"  
  
"Well, I figured you wouldn't want to go out tonight after we fought."  
  
"Why can't you trust me?"  
  
Usually one-sided conversations would be confusing but Tristan got the just of what was being said on the other end.  
  
"Dean don't feed me that line about trusting me but not trusting the person I'm with it is the same thing as not trusting me." Her cheeks got redder and redder, as she got angrier and angrier.  
  
"Don't say that Dean, Tristan is my friend." Could this be was she defending him?  
  
"Well if you can't trust me or my friends than I don't think we should be together anymore," she said very shakily.  
  
"Good-bye Dean" She said trying not to let him hear her braking down.  
  
"Hey are you okay?" Tristan said after a while.  
  
"Yea I'm just peachy, of course I'm not okay I just broke up with my boyfriend."  
  
"Sorry dumb question. I don't exactly know what to do hear. I have never seen a girl get her heart broken by someone else." He did the only thing that came to mind. He sat down next to her, picked her up as if she was a sack of feathers, and placed her in his lap. Tristan wrapped his arms protectively around her and started rocking her back and forth. She just continued to sob uncontrollably. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and started to hum.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked as she looked at him with her watery blue eyes.  
  
"Sorry I guess I got all grandfathery on you this is what my grandfather did when I was upset"  
  
She gave a slight laugh and snuggled into his chest. After a while the combination of crying and his soothing voice put her to sleep in his arms. He lifted her up slightly so he could slide out from under her. He went into the parlor so he could use the phone in there. He dialed Rory's phone number and waited form someone to pick up at her house.  
  
"Hello"  
  
"Hi Miss Gilmore, This is Tristan"  
  
"Ahh evil one hello. It's Lorelei, call me Miss Gilmore one more time and I will kill you through the phone. Now may I help you?  
  
"Umm yea well, Rory is still here, her and Dean broke up and she cried herself to sleep on my couch. I don't know when she is gonna wake up and I don't think she should drive home late so would it be alright if she crashed here for tonight?"  
  
"Hmm yes that would be fine but if you aren't the perfect gentlemen I will have another reason to kill you and mount you head on my wall okay?"  
  
"If I am not the perfect gentlemen I will chop of my own head and send it to you on first class mail."  
  
"Good to know. Give her my love and tell her to call my in the morning, k?"  
  
"Yes Mi – Lorelei"  
  
"Ohh good save, Goodnight Bible boy."  
  
Tristan set down the phone and went back into the living room. He lay down next to Rory hoping he wouldn't wake her. Instead she snuggled into he chest as if he was a teddy bear. He became intoxicated with her scent and soon fell asleep himself.  
  
****  
  
After awhile he woke up to find her still asleep. He smiled in spite of himself and continued to stare at her. He prayed that she wouldn't wake up and become horrified at the fact that she had spent most of the night asleep in his arms. Her butterfly lashes flutter signaling to him that she was coming back into consciousness. He looked into her eyes and didn't find a single strand of horror there only slight confusion and possibly joy. She stretched causing her shirt to remove itself from beneath his hand.  
  
She didn't bother to remove his hand from her bare skin.  
  
"So umm what exactly happened last night?"  
  
"Well… you and Dean broke up, you cried yourself to sleep, I called you mom and she said you could crash here for tonight and I fell asleep next to you."  
  
"Oh, okay." She sat up "My gosh it's one in the morning" looking at the clock on the mantle.  
  
"Yea" Tristan got up off the couch. "Come on I think I might have something you can sleep in." She followed him to his room. "If you just have a really big sweat shirt that will be fine." He went through his dresser and pulled out the biggest one he had. It was huge on him so it would probably be like a dress on her. "Here ya go, the bathroom is in there. There is some towels in there is you want to take a shower."  
  
She took him up on his offer and stepped into the shower letting the hot water run down her back. When she was down she stepped out of the bathroom in the sweatshirt that went down to her knees. She set he clothes down in a corner and sat on Tristan's bed. Tristan came into the room wearing nothing but his sleep pants. He threw himself onto the bed and let out a sigh. Rory crawled up next to him.  
  
"Whatcha thinkin'?"  
  
"I'm thinking about how now that I have given a piece of myself to somebody I feel very vulnerable."  
  
"I'm not gonna try and hurt you Tris, and thank you for the piece. I'll try and keep it safe."  
  
He smiled. "Come on bed time." He pulled down the covers and let her climb in. He climbed in next to her and pulled the blankets back up. He wasn't planning on trying to get too close to her but it was kind of hard to resist. He placed one of his hands on her waste and instead of moving away from him she rolled towards him.  
  
She let a content sigh. She liked the feel of being in his arms. "Night, Bible Boy"  
  
"Night, Mary"  
  
A little while later after Rory had studied his face combing over every detail with her eyes, she finally said his name.  
  
"Tristan?" He pretended he was asleep. She reached up and placed a small, sweet kiss on his lips. He wanted to kiss her back but he didn't. "Tristan, now that I have a piece of you I'm going to give you a piece of me, a piece of my heart. Please don't break it." She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into his embrace. Tristan couldn't believe it he had been given a piece of her heart the one thing that he had always wanted. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He wasn't going to mess anything up. He wasn't going to let this angel get hurt.  
  
****  
  
The Next morning Rory woke up to the smell of coffee. She smiled sleepily "I like you know"  
  
He handed her the mug "Yea I bet you do." She gulped down the coffee quickly and then smacked him with a pillow.  
  
"Hey what was that for?"  
  
"Nothing really" She bolted out of the room before he could grab her. He took off after her. He heard her running down the hallway and giggling. When he caught up to her, she had found her way into the Library. He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
"Like it? I love it. Look at all these books."  
  
He walked over to the rolling ladder and bought it to the corner of the room. He climbed up so he could reach the very top shelf. "I have something here you might like. He reached out and pulled a very old and dusty book. He climbed back down and handed it to her. She gingerly took the book from him and dusted of the cover. Her eyes light up in excitement.  
  
"Jane Austin!"  
  
"Yea it was a first printing"  
  
"How did you know I liked her?"  
  
"I notice a lot of things about you, Rory"  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Like how your eyes light up when you smile or how you twist this one strand of hair when you're thinking. Or how you listen to music everyday at lunch. Or how your cheeks become the slightest color of pink when you get embarrassed, like now. Or how you bite you bottom lip when you get nervous"  
  
He started walking towards her. She couldn't move all she could do is bite her lip and look down. She felt his hand on her chin pushing her head up so she was looking at him.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Making you nervous"  
  
He leaned down and before he touched his lips to hers he said "Thank you for giving me a piece of your heart." She couldn't stand it. She closed the distance between them snaking her arms around his neck gently moving her lips against his. He ran his tongue along her lip pleading for entry. She let him deepen the kiss but soon they had to pull away due to lack of oxygen. He placed his forehead against hers. Behind her back he removed his grandfather's ring from his finger. She felt his hand travel up her back and down her arm. He took her hand into his and slide the ring onto her finger.  
  
She looked down at it slightly amazed "But Tristan this means so much to you."  
  
"I know just to make sure you keep that piece of me close to you at all times"  
  
She smiled up at him "Thank you" she said pulling him into another kiss. 


End file.
